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Saturday, March 3, 2018

Its March and that means the annual GM's Sale at RPGNow. I'll be putting together a series of Tavern OSR Picks for this year's sale (although a pick or two may stray from those OSR parameters). This is Part 2. Part 1 is here.Today is Classic TSR Picks, some of which are very fairly priced.

D&D Rules Cyclopedia - "The Cyclopedia contains the compete game system and hundreds of features, including the following: All the rules from the D&D boxed set series, including Basic, Expert, Companion, and Masters, Guidelines to develop and play characters from levels 1-36, Comprehensive lists of weaponry and equipment, Expansion rules including optional skills and talents, an overview of the Known World and the HOLLOW WORLD game setting, the official D&D campaign world; and Rules to convert D&D games and characters into AD&D 2nd edition game statistics and back again." 9.996.69Oriental Adventures - "The material in this book will enable you to play the

AD&D game as you've never played it before. In the lands of Oriental Adventures, characters are not judged solely on their prowess with sword and spell. Oriental characters' social skills and personal honor are just as important as their combat abilities. When was the last time politeness and proper manners really mattered in your campaign? How can characters associate with nobility if they know nothing of courts or court etiquette? How many AD&D characters worry about how their actions reflect upon their families and comrades? These and many other intricacies of social interactions and responsibilities are brought to light in this volume." 4.993.34Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms - "This contains everything AD&D game players and DM's need to establish an exciting Oriental Adventures campaign!Kara-Tur, world of eastern mystery, is on the far side of the planet from the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting, but the two cultures interact only if you want them to! This is the "official" campaign setting for the Oriental Adventures rulebook. Kara-Tur has everything you need: Two 96-page books describe the places, culture, politics, monsters, magic, people, religions, and more, plus advice on running a long-term Oriental Adventures campaign, bringing characters from other worlds into Kara-Tur to other worlds." 4.99 3.34

World Builder's Guidebook - "Get out your pencils and markers, because it's time to make that dream come true! From the first steps of picking a campaign book to the final details of crafting a kingdom or city, World Builder's Guidebook leads you stage by stage through the process of creating your own, unique campaign world. Build a world modeled after your favorite movies or books, detail a portion of an existing world, or create your own fantasy world from scratch! Some of the features you'll find in the World Builder's Guidebook include: An introduction to the art of world building, Guidelines and random tables for creating continents, kingdoms, societies, local areas, towns and cities, ecologies, pantheons, histories, and sites of interest, A pad of 32 copyable forms, mapping paper, and hex sheets?an indispensable set of tools for your world-building efforts!"

OD&D Dungeons & Dragons Original Edition - "First published in January 1974, the original edition rules of Dungeons & Dragons would go on to see six different printings. This edition is for the Original Collector's Edition released By Wizards of the Coast in 2013, which was itself a revision of the 6th and final printing, the "Original Collector’s Edition" or white box edition. You get all three books contained in the original boxed set:
Men & Magic, Monsters & Treasure, and Underworld
& Wilderness Adventures plus the Reference Sheets booklet." 9.996.69Al-Qadim: Arabian Adventures (2e) - "Magic carpets, ghoulish vixens, genies rising from the sand in a whirlwind of smoke and fire - such wonders, spun into tales by fabled Scheherasade, enchanted a king for a thousand and one nights. The Al-Qadim campaign will enchant role-players for a thousand and one more.
You are about to discover an exotic realm inspired by the tales of Sinbad, Ali Baba, and other classics from the Arabian Nights. The first in a series of products, this volume features everything DM's and players need to launch the Al-Qadim campaign." 4.993.34

Dungeon Builder's Guidebook - "What if you already design all your own dungeons? Though the advice and tips in here and may be old news to you, even the most experienced Dungeon Master is sometimes strapped for time or inspiration. Dungeon Builder's Guidebook is perfect for generating the dungeon hook you need at a moment's notice, the goblin warren the PCs accidentally stumble upon, or the pocket dimension you did not get a chance to detail. Dungeon Builder's Guidebook contains the following features: Basic pointers and advice on building dungeons. Permutations that provide ways to " twist" your dungeon in exciting ways. Six distinct dungeon types, each accompanied by property and encounter tables to help your flesh out your dungeon. A collection of 78 geomorphs that you can photocopy, trace, or freehand onto your own maps. The Trap Architect, at detailed process for generating lethal traps. The Autodungeon Engine, a series of tables that allow your to create a dungeon by attaching random geomorphs together, forming a unique dungeon each time." 4.993.34Wizard's Spell Compendium Vol. 1- "The Ultimate Collection! The Wizard's Spell Compendium is a four-volume series describing every wizard spell for the AD&D game. Spells have been collected from rule books, campaign settings, supplements, adventures, and magazines dating back to 1975. Early entries have been updated to be immediately usable, making this the player's and DM's definitive source for wizard spells." Also Volume 29.99 6.69There are affiliate links above. Help keep the lights on at The Tavern.

The Free OSR Rulesets SciFi Page now has 11 entries. Work continues on the Free OSR Rulesets - Other Page.

Cascade Failure - "Cascade Failure is a post-apocalypse future RPG. Set in the aftermath of a devastating war that collapsed the interstellar economy, Cascade Failure is a survival RPG that casts the characters out into a dangerous and hostile universe. The game is built on a rugged OGL chassis that is melded with a variety of new subsystems to round out your character. You can jump into unique character classes like the Kinetic that can move objects with their mind or into a unique alien species like the insectoid Sahael with a hardened exoskeleton and powerful mandibles for biting attacks."

TERMINAL SPACE - "In the beginning (these rules) were to comprise a separate game partially based on simplified Moldvay / Cook edition of the game and partially on my own solutions. After some thought I came to the conclusion that my works would be better suited as supplements for the Original Edition. The aim of this publication is to add a new rule set to help transfer the game to an entire new dimension which is space exploration. Thus these additional materials were created with the thought of settings more heavily based in Sci-Fi and Science Fantasy genres than most of the materials crated for 0e so far. Even though this supplement is not complete I hope that somebody will find it useful. "

Friday, March 2, 2018

Its March and that means the annual GM's Sale at RPGNow. I'll be putting together a series of Tavern OSR Picks for this year's sale (although a pick or two may stray from those OSR parameters). This is Part 1.

Midlands Low Magic Sandbox Setting - "The Midlands is half setting, half DIY toolkit filled with tables and tools to assist the GM to run an improvised sandbox, including fifty Adventure Frameworks to sprinkle around the region (mini adventures with enough meat to kickstart an adventure, but enough flexibility to expand/adapt to player choices).The Midlands' main themes include: Grim Cities, Deadly Outlands, Dangerous Magic, Silent Gods and Ancient Mysteries. Despite the dangers, the wilds beckon with crumbling ruins, lost treasures, & forgotten secrets." 10.006.70

Norse and Germanic culture. Explore the dark places where Gooblitts and Dýrverr roam. Battle against the treacherous forces of Chaos led by Orcus and The Thrir. Die horribly at the hands of greenskins while trying to get rich quick with your friends! Mithgarthr takes its mechanics from the fifth edition of the world's most popular role playing game, but molds them against its grim setting. Characters start at zero level with just the skills they have from their mundane profession (of which there are nine to choose from) and a desire to make a better life for themselves. Players may choose from seven races including the murine Ratten and the winged, hawk-like Fjothr. Life is cheap and death comes often, but those adventurers who survive long enough to attain first level have eight iconic classes to choose from. Magic is cast using a point system, and is less common than usual. Monsters have their own magic system, drawing their power from Orcus." 19.99 13.39

Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures - "Lots of times, we want to play a roleplaying game but just don’t have the time for all the prep work involved. No more. Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures is a kit to make a gang of childhood friends and send them off on their first big adventure, just like in the novels we loved growing up. Now we have this simple fantasy roleplaying game that gives a group of players all the tools they need to play an exciting adventure in a single evening, no homework, no fuss. Anyone with a background in OSR games will already be comfortable with the core rules of Beyond the Wall." 7.995.34Umerican Survival Guide, Delve cover (DCC) - "Within this irradiated tome you will find: A dozen new or revised character class options, nine of which are unique to Umerica: Clerics of the Wasteland, The Cyborg, Feral Urchin,

Fossiorian, Grays, Mutant, Petrol Head, Robot, Scavenger, Technologist, Wasteland Warrior, Wizard of the Wasteland. New piecemeal armor system that incorporates damage resistance, ablatives, and armor degradation An extensive, revised mutation system usable by all characters and creatures An expanded vehicular creation and combat system for all of your petrolhead needs A pantheon of Umerican Gods and Patrons, old and new A comprehensive section on the Citadel of Scrap, a good campaign starting point for exploring Umerica. Dozens of random tables covering aspects of everyday wasteland life, finding salvage, and adventure creation plus much, much more! All fully compatible with the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game from Goodman Games." 9.996.69

Esoterica Exhumed- "More than 30 new races, from centaurs to little pigs to mythic races inspired by the Norse, Aztec and Indian mythologies. Dozens of new classes. A multitude of new magic-user, cleric and druid spells. Rules for piecemeal and used armor. An optional proficiency system for weapons, tasks and spells. Psionics. Zero-level characters. New magic items and artifacts. Esoterica Exhumed works with most Old School systems, and is written specifically for the Blood & Treasure 2nd Edition rules." 7.99 5.35Night Below: An Underdark Campaign - "Night Below, the first epic campaign adventure for the AD&D game, is designed to take the player characters from 1st level to 10th level and beyond. The PCs start as beginning adventures on a routine courier mission who soon become drawn into combating a sinister plot that menaces the pleasant land of Haranshire. By the end of Book I, The Evils of Haranshire, the player characters should have worked their way up to 5th level. Book II, Perils of the Underdark, shifts the scene underground as the characters search the seemingly endless realm of the underdark to discover the fate of the kidnappers' victims. By the time they reach the dark cavern of The Sunless Sea in Book III, they should each be 10th level or above, ready at last to confront the ultimate evil behind the far-reaching conspiracy." 9.996.69

B2 - Keep on the Borderland - "This module includes a cover folder with maps and a complete description booklet to form a ready-made scenario for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Basic Set. It has been specially designed for use by beginning Dungeon Masters so that they may begin play with a minimum of preparations. Within are many features to aid novice players and Dungeon Masters: legends, history and background information, a list of adventuring characters, tips on how to be an effective Dungeon Master, plus an interesting area for characters to base themselves in (the Keep) before setting out to explore the Caves of Chaos." 4.993.34The above have affiliate links. You help keep the lights on at The Tavern when you use The Tavern's affiliate links.

I'm 49 years old, I will be 50 in two weeks. I have been an American blogger writer and a English teacher living and writing in Vietnam for the past 19 years.I have been a single father supporting my two teenage children Sam, and Siobhan for the past 6 years in Vietnam Last week I suffered life threatening and debilitating stroke which has left me unable to write. According to my doctor I need to get an MRI as soon as possible. I have no health or medical insurance this campaign will mean I will be able to pay my rent and medical expenses and continue supporting my children until I am on the road to recovery.

Those of you who know me know that I have always refused to crowdfund my writing projects all of which have always been provided as free downloads for the past 10 years. I currently have two completed books which I also intend to provide a to the old school RPG community as free downloads. I will be extremely grateful for any help my friends and family are willing to contribute.

Edit - The Tavern will match the first $100 in donations made by Tavern Readers. Let me know in the comments below.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

I know folks have been waiting for this and its finally here - Rappan Athuk: Reborn for Fifth Edition! Now, that's exciting for the 5e players (its an excellent megadungeon) as they get additional new content and brand new color art.

But that's not what I've been waiting on. I've been waiting on the new content for Swords & Wizardry and that will be published as its own, stand alone book. Woot! (oh, and Pathfinder too for those interested)

Just as exciting to me is ability to get the redrawn Rappan Athuk maps as JPEG files for use with VTTs.

Then there is the add on for 3D Printer Files from Fat Dragon games including the very handsome entrance to the Mouth of Doom. If you like dungeon terrain and have a 3d printer, this is huge!

I may need to kick off a new Rappan Athuk campaign for SWL this fall.

The Kickstarter has been live for 2 hours as I type this and its already passed 19k of a 30k goal. Damns!

At the moment, the Frogs are casting live on Facebook. If you drop in, tell them The Tavern sent you :)

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

You know the saying "adding insult to injury"? Well, after all of the drama and angry backers upset with the long delay in getting Robotech Tactics Wave 2 backers their shit (and Wave 1 backers complaining about the quality of the minis / models) Palladium has LOST its license to the Robotech IP. No more Robotech Tactics and no more Robotech RPG (at lest not from Kevin and company)Did I mention the Robotech Tactics KS took in over $1.4 MILLION?edit: following update offers Wave 2 backers a chance for Wave 1 products, but backers have to pay for the shipping. This is product that would have to be destroyed ANYWAY!What follows is the update explaining thing's from Kevin's side. Feel free to read the various comments on the Robotech Tactics Kickstarter comments page.

When the Robotech® RPG Tactics (RRT) Kickstarter funded in May 2013, we cheered, hugged and actually danced down the halls at the Palladium office. Not just because of the amount of money raised thanks to your pledges, but because it meant the realization of our dreams for Robotech®. For Palladium Books, it signified bringing Robotech fans – ourselves among them – something new and exciting to the beloved Robotech® universe.

So it is with sadness and tremendous heartbreak that I announce that, despite our best efforts, we are unable to produce the Robotech® RPG Tactics Wave Two rewards. Moreover, after proudly carrying the legacy of Robotech® in the role-playing games medium for 30 years, our license has expired and is not being renewed.

Palladium’s Business Manager, Scott Gibbons, intended to write this post, but I thought it should come from me. I have spent the better part of a week trying to find the words to explain what happened and express to you how sorry we are that it has come to this. In the end, we decided it best to keep it simple and share with you the broad strokes of how things unfolded without getting too deep into the weeds or violating any Non-Disclosure Agreements.

Pre-Kickstarter
When Palladium saw the opportunity to do Robotech® miniatures as game pieces, we knew the fans would love it. Even cooler, we wanted to create a whole new RPG with an emphasis on the miniatures, combat and tactics. Something different and exciting.

So, we decided to contract with another company with a good reputation and experience in all the areas where we lacked direct experience ourselves. We considered a few companies, and decided upon Ninja Division/Soda Pop Miniatures. We liked what they had to say, they were knowledgeable, enthusiastic and confident, had been working with Cool Mini or Not, Games Workshop and other top-flight companies, and had been involved in 8 or 9 successful Kickstarters. Plus, they had a hit game of their own, Super Dungeon Explore, as well as having been involved with the creation of other games. When we inquired about the company, industry people spoke very highly of them and the products they had worked on.

Ninja Division was brought on to do the heavy lifting: Build and run the Kickstarter, select the manufacturer/broker in China, choose the manufacturing process, choose the type of plastic, provide Palladium with the cost estimates, handle logistics and deal with all the ins and outs and many, many nuisances of manufacturing in China. Ninja Division was also to create the game and hire talented sculptors and artists to create the 3D sculpts, cards, design elements, packaging, and essentially create the game and the Kickstarter from the ground up, or as they liked to say in those early days, “handle 90% of everything.”

At Palladium Books, our primary role was using our extensive knowledge of the Robotech® I.P. to ensure the accuracy of the 3D sculpts, artwork, design elements, and overall look and feel of the game. Palladium provided Ninja Division’s sculptors and artists with all kinds of reference materials, artwork, model sheets, screen shots, and copious notes and communications to get it all just right. This was no small task, as there were many game pieces and most required a vast amount of our time and input to capture all the proper details we knew fans expected. We also handled the approval process with Harmony Gold.

Palladium eventually became more directly involved in the creative process in terms of developing the game rules. We brought in a long-time Palladium freelance writer, Robotech® uber-fan and game designer to assist. We approached it as if we were looking at Robotech® with fresh eyes, re-watched all of Robotech®: Macross, and set out to simulate the action, speed and power of the mecha as seen in the TV show. We used some of Ninja Division’s material as a starting point and built on it from there. Then we worked with them to help with the fine-tuning and number crunching. Ninja Division managed and oversaw the widespread play-testing, and the response from our scores of play-testers was overwhelmingly positive.

The Kickstarter was raw excitement. You know, you were part of it.

After the Kickstarter successfully funded, Palladium announced a Fall 2013 release and said that the game was 98% done, because in the minds of all of us here, it was 98% done. The rest was easy ... or so we thought. You take the 3D sculpts, do physical 3D prints, make the molds, run the plastic figures, dice and tokens, print the rule book, cards, and cartons, box it all up, shrinkwrap it, ship it to the USA, and we ship it to you and the stores. Easy, right? Wrong. But, because this is what we thought and because we were so anxious to bring the game to you and the gaming community, we advertised in print and online that the game would be a Fall 2013 release. In retrospect, we probably should have waited until RRT was on the boat heading to America; but we were excited, so we moved ahead.

Plastics and manufacturing
After delay after delay that we, like you, did not understand, we learned the problem stemmed from the fact that STL files, the 3D sculpts from the sculptors, were not compatible with the tooling process the manufacturer would be using.

The 3D sculpts we had all worked so hard on, and that Palladium had paid $35,000 for, and looked gorgeous, had to be completely recreated – from scratch – by the manufacturer. And Palladium and Ninja Division had to go through the creation, correction and approval process a second time for ALL of the Wave One and most of the Wave Two game pieces. A process that took MONTHS. Each delay compounding your frustration, and ours, as we would announce one revised release date – and miss it – after another.

Tooling is the engineering and making of the molds. The hard plastic used in Wave One was chosen to preserve the detail and crispness of the game pieces. Using that material requires expensive metal molds. Moreover, the plastic and the molds do not allow for undercuts, requiring the manufacturer to break the miniatures down into many, many pieces in order to manufacture them. Hence, the many parts required to build the miniatures.

The high cost of tooling/molds – $75,000 for what would become just the Wave One rewards – was unexpected. And that was in addition to the nearly $21,000 for the 3D file corrections and prototypes by the manufacturer.

Shipping. The next big cost increase came with the announcement that all freight carriers from UPS and FedEx to the United States Postal Service were implementing Dimensional Weight. In the recent past, a shipper paid by the pound to send a package. Then someone in the shipping industry came up with the idea that shippers of large but lightweight packages should pay by the size of the package, not just the weight. A formula based upon size (volume), not weight, was made standard so now you have to pay by “Dimensional Weight” after a certain point. And that point is not a very large package. Thus, you now pay by the actual weight or by “dimensional weight,” whichever is greater.

Dimensional Weight dramatically increased the anticipated shipping cost to backers. $131,843.74 for just Wave One. Another $9,016.80 for the boxes alone to ship your rewards in. And $76,401.20 to import Wave One from China into the USA.

Costs were soaring beyond the original cost projections. Ninja Division suggested splitting the Kickstarter rewards into two waves. We were reluctant at first, but ultimately came around to the idea.

The effort to make Wave Two
In theory, by making and releasing the Wave One products to the retail market, we could sell enough of them to produce Wave Two rewards. Even if Palladium saw little or no initial profit from it, we figured we would make up for it with later sales as the game line grew and found its place in the market. Not ideal, but it seemed like our best choice at the time.

But after the initial release of Wave One products, for a variety of reasons, including the high piece count to make each miniature and the delay of Wave Two which would have improved the gaming experience, sales stalled. And with sales stagnating, our ability to produce Wave Two stalled with it.

The Kickstarter money was gone with Wave One, but Palladium never gave up on Robotech® RPG Tactics. We explored every available option in order to secure more funding or bring in business partners and investors. We solicited multiple quotes and explored different manufacturing options and new production technologies for these potential partners. As you know, there was a period when we felt very confident Wave Two would see production and release. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we came up short. But we were so committed, even that did not stop us. We reached out to others. Even Harmony Gold and Palladium’s licensing agent tried to help us put deals together with third parties. We made a Herculean effort and did everything we could, right through this past Christmas and into the New Year, but without success.

The cost to produce Wave Two, estimated at $300,000-$400,000 for tooling and manufacturing, plus $65,000 to import to the USA, plus $120,000-$160,000 to ship rewards to the backers, was more than any potential investor was willing to risk.

Whenever anyone pledges support to a Kickstarter project, you never know if it will be successful or not. It is a gamble. This is true of any business venture. We are sincerely sorry this one fell short. We gave it our all, but that’s the rub about life and business, sometimes your all is not good enough. Sometimes you miss the mark despite your best efforts, good intentions, and the money you pour into it. I’m sorry that was the case with RRT.

What we can offer – Wave One Rewards for Wave Two
We know it is not what you expected, but we would like to offer you Wave One rewards in exchange for the unrealized Wave Two rewards – but you will have to pay for shipping. We estimate shipping to all 5,000+ backers around the world will cost $120,000-$160,000; and, at this point, Palladium Books just does not have the resources to cover that expense.

We will do our best to ship as inexpensively as possible, and we will only pass along our actual costs – with Palladium covering the cost of labor.

We will post the details about the reward exchange in the following update.

I would like to state that the people at Harmony Gold USA, Inc., have been wonderful partners to work with these many years. They went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to their assistance with trying to keep RRT alive. Our thanks to everyone involved.

My thanks and humble appreciation to everyone who supported Robotech® RPG Tactics. First and foremost, that includes you, our Kickstarter backers, followed by others who bought and loved RRT, everyone who had a direct hand in its creation, to play-testers, freelancers, Game Masters, and many, many others — far too many people to try to list. Literally, thousands of you. Thank you for sharing our dream. We tried our very best.

Flying Swordsmen - "Flying Swordsmen is a game of fantasy martial arts, where characters use swords, fists, spells, and more to battle other martial artists and monsters, and seek out new techniques or magic to improve their martial skill."

The Searchers of the Unknown - "Searchers of the Unknown is a one-page roleplaying game where player characters are entirely defined by a minimalist old school Dungeons & Dragons one line tat block (e.g. "AC 7, MV 9, HD 2, hp 9, #AT 1, D 1d8 mace") something like monster stat blocks in early editions of D&D. All actions are based on those stats."

Torch & Sword - "What are the design priorities of Torch & Sword? Minimalism and fidelity. By establishing a minimalistic framework, give referees a scaffoldaround which to build. It’s easier to add wanted complexity than remove unwanted complexity. The ambiguities and omissions in the original three booklets are important. What is unclear or unwritten is a feature of the rules. Those gaps give referees room to make their own creative rulings. As to fidelity, Torch & Sword hews as closely to the 1974 rules as necessary to make the play experience true to the original."

I'm a huge fan of Far Away Land. It has simple yet satisfying mechanics and amazing depth to its setting and flavor. The art? To die for.

Its the only game without direct roots to D&D that I've run since returning to gaming 10 years ago. Of, and the roots might not be direct to D&D, but the indirect roots are certainly there ;)

Back this Kickstarter. You won't be sorry if you do, but you will probably be disappointed with yourself if you don't...

What Makes Far Away Land Unique?

Far Away Land (FAL) is a rules-lite fantasy science fiction weird gonzo lighthearted setting that incorporates simple mechanics, colorful artwork, and pop culture into a unique tabletop rpg with an old school feel.

The Setting of the FAL Universe

FAL is quirky, lighthearted, and highly imaginative. The color artwork, although sometimes humorous, hides a dark and malevolent world. While there are some classic fantasy tropes, much of it is unique and specific to FAL. For example, Soracans are giant floating construct heads that shoot lazers and speak dubstep. Angry telepathic nuns riding grizzly bears battle interdimensional Abraham Lincoln clones. A race of symbiotic sideburn sporting, jumpsuit wearing humanoids soar into battle atop giant three-eyed birds. Wizards and necromancers seek power and knowledge. Heroes try not to die. Villains are evil. Far Away Land is a world twisted by an ancient war. The effects of that old war and the portals it opened continue to shape the world.

FAL Game Mechanics

FAL uses a simple d6 mechanic. Players roll a handful of dice and take the high roll. That roll is then compared to target numbers or opposed rolls to resolve conflicts. The core of the game is basic and optional rules allow the core mechanics to be expanded as GMs and players see fit. Character creation takes only a few minutes. Combat is brutal and death is always on the horizon.

Sunday, February 25, 2018

I picked up a Zoom ZH1 H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder with the intention of seeking out members of the OSR Community (known and less known) for a series of 5 minute interviews. Now, it sounds really good in theory but 5 minutes can be really long of the conversation doesn't flow.

That's where you, The Tavern's Readers, come in. I need some general questions I can refer to get the interviews flowing. Add your questions to the comments below. Tuesday night around 9 PM Eastern I'll pick two random commenters. They'll each receive a $5 RPGNow Gift Certificate.

I'll print out the list of questions and bring it with my to Gary Con.

When I return back to New York it may go up as a special episode of the Hero's Brew podcast.

1pot - "for low level OSR style play across your game or retroclone of choice. 1pot is a collection of optional modular rules, house rules, and ideas that can bring a grittier feel to other, especially old-school style, roleplaying games - but that in itself also describes a complete simple, abbreviated and rules-lite RPG. The goal is to extend the risky, one-roll-away-from-death, feel of low level play whilst providing more interesting routes for classes progression to replace 'leveling' - to enjoy finding out what a character might become if you're smart enough to keep them alive."

Sabres & Witchery (S&W) - "Sabres & Witchery is a role-playing game nominally set in Europe (although it could be elsewhere) from the end of the English Civil War through to approximately the Napoleonic Wars era. It is based on a set of ‘old school’ fantasy role playing rules, which itself was based on the first fantasy role-playing game."

This puts the list of Free OSR Rulesets - Fantasy at 40. Wow. Work continues on the Free Fantasy Rulesets - Other.

Sunday at noon central, two attorney-gamers with different opinions about the two vital topics of thieves guilds and megadungeons, head to head, live. Alex Kammer has terribly wrong opinions on thieves guilds (he thinks they don't make sense) and megadungeons (he's against them in some way).

Swords & Six-Siders - Swords & Six-Siders (S&SS) is an ultra rules-lite fantasy roleplaying game inspired by the earliest of tabletop RPGs (0E, BX, and T&T). Unlike typical OSR (Old School Renaissance) games, it relies on a single six-sided die (1d6). It is great for both new roleplayers and old-schoolers alike who are looking to get more gaming done in less time.

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Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea (thank you Kickstarter) (edit) BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and will soon have some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep shipping shortly in my grubby hands awaiting a review..

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls (and still waiting on dT&T to ship).

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 48, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

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